Ever get frustrated and feel like you'll never get it finished?

[74 standard]

Managed to mount the rear bumper but wasn’t able to get the mount seals to go in. The bumper brackets are too close to the fenders so I’m going to try loosening the fenders a bit and placing the seals then repositioning them. But my patience is exhausted for the day.

[Dwayne1m]

Getting those seals to fit on my 74 was a bit of a struggle too. I think I finally got them to seat while working from under the fender with a small screwdriver to pry them into position.

[Dark Earth]

[Buggeee]

[Deebs]

[74 standard]

[wetminkey]

In answer to the original question posed in this post: YEAH! Especially since I feel like I'm the only VW owner in the world that is critical of the absolutely TERRIBLE reproductions of restoration parts!
Has NO ONE sent this garbage back and complained?!
Do the vendors NOT KNOW how poorly the greater majority of repros resemble, and function like, the original VW parts!?
I haven't had to deal with VW vendors since the late 80's, so I'm shocked! Parts weren't great back then, but at least they LOOKED like a VW part, and most worked pretty well,...
I have a question,...Now that these cars are no longer produced, are the manufacturers designing these VW repros from old photos?! Or perhaps from no original example at all?
I'm in the process of returning repro pop outs right now, and just threw out a new repro interior light yesterday, and it took me a number of disappointments to get me to the point of complaining here. What crap!
I'll persevere despite. Good thing that my car has a huge number of original parts that I prefer to re-use!
Anyway, I'll step off of my "soap box" now, and allow for others to input here,...
Good luck with your projects, everyone! I hope everything goes smoothly for you all!
Todd.

[Epilog79]

I have a 79 with the same bumper seals you are struggling with. I have one side tha has been perfect for years, however the passenger side never stays put for more than a few months. The reason is due to being rear ended years ago and the one bumper shock is just a little bent. What I have leaned is that the easiest way to deal with them is to heat them up a little to soften them up. I use a heat gun and use a small pick to get the back little plastic tabs to snap on. Then once it is all on just right it cools back down and takes a set. Mind I am not heating to melt but to make the black plastic more pliable.
Good luck with the completion of your project. Patience can be very challenging. I have been working and tinkering with my bug for nearly 25 years. Hang in there.

[storm]

I once drove a '71 super beetle for 15 years in Chicago winters. Well went probably to fast over a set of railroad tracks and the beetle steering wheel got closer to my chest. The tunnel gave way and pinned me against the steering wheel. I thought I was on the 5:00 news.What's this story about? I decided to restored this VW. It needed lots of metal. Took apart many VW to assemble my VW. This took years. I worked for days and saw little progress. Ready to throw in the towel, but I can't a banded this. My family and friends thought I was nuts. Lost interest but I can't quit, I got a lot into it. Lots of new stuff. Well I did finally fix and it's back on the road. I wonder how many VW projects out there that got started but not finished. Luckily we have "The Samba's classifieds.
_________________
always ready to learn and give advice

[alex857]

Hang on! I had to fix three rust holes in three different wheel wells of my red Bug last week. Fixed them with a friend. And found three new ones! Your car looks so fresh and nice! Soon you will drive your red Bug around, enjoy and shoot photos like this:

[TDCTDI]

[Dwayne1m]

[beetlenut]

[trynne]

Yep, 9 years into this one and many cars I have done over the past 50years never took more than a year to build any of the ones in the past. I will overcome !!!!LOL

[trynne]

Yep, 9 years into this one and many cars I have done over the past 50years never took more than a year to build any of the ones in the past. I will overcome !!!!LOL

[mark tucker]

I havent had that feeling of frustration they I may never get it finished.I know I will never get it finished. Reality can be a bitch...but she usually go's by another name....

[Antonio Trejo]

[Buggeee]

[Black hound]

[marktheshark]

i have felt this same way for two years! I live near a cliff and i tried to push the 72 SB that way but couldn't do it myself. I called my son to come help and would have made it but he brought his wife and she has decided it's "cute" so we continue. i will not reiterate the other posts here, only my different experience.
I"m a fair mechanic and got the thing to run, drive and shift (autostick) Then the wife decided it could look a little better. We heard about a body work guy who had done these in the day and took it there. my wife and i were painfully aware i had no experience in this area and that my age and vision were additional handicaps. after 8 months "resting" at this other persons "bodyshop", my son and I drug the pieces/parts back to my place as nothing constructive was happening. I won't share what this embarassment cost me, or how worthless small claims court is in IL.
The other experiences i have not heard mentioned are 1. as you fix one area, other areas are rusting away.....2. many of the parts that you spend hard earned money for are suspect, if not absolute junk. Most, if not all, of these places are on the west coast. Nuff said.